LiveJournal stripping users' affiliate links • Hacker News Board

Re: LiveJournal stripping users' affiliate links

#41

Post by gyardley » Fri, Mar 05, 2010, 2:32 PM UTC

ramchip wrote: post #6

jonknee wrote: post #4

http://drivingrevenue.com/ was the firm running the redirector... Looks shady as hell.

Driving Revenue is full service affiliate marketing solution comprised of online marketers, developers and analysts. Our mission is to equip site owners with a variety of powerful and innovative tools designed to maximize their online ventures. We use cutting-edge solutions that provide a compressive and customized approach to your Internet environment. In short: we help you monetize your existing traffic. Well, it s…

Heh, I know this company. What a godawful way to say 'we provide software that inserts affiliate links into vBulletin installs so your forum can make a bit more money', which is what they actually do.

Re: LiveJournal stripping users' affiliate links

#42

Post by gyardley » Fri, Mar 05, 2010, 2:39 PM UTC

dotBen wrote: post #9

Ok serious question... What do people feel about url shorteners doing this? Also, what about free twitter clients - as a mechanism for monetization?

It's fine if you communicate it up front. I'd make sure this was somewhere in a nice big font on sign-up:

"You're using a free service, and we need to make money, so we modify certain links to e-commerce sites. When people click on those links and then buy something, we get a small percentage. This doesn't affect the content of the linked sites at all - the experience will be identical. It does mean you'll be unable to make money on your own by linking to e-commerce sites and using an affiliate code. Sorry - but this is a free service."

In fact, removing affiliate links almost certainly has a beneficial effect - your service is less likely to be seen as a tool for direct marketing lowlifes.

A lot of things that seem shady when done on the sly and hidden from users are fine when explained up front and in clear and simple English.

Re: LiveJournal stripping users' affiliate links

#43

Post by mbrubeck » Fri, Mar 05, 2010, 3:41 PM UTC

jrockway wrote: post #34

mbrubeck wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cancel their affiliate account and refuse to pay any earnings from their referrals?

Ah, I didn't know they were redirecting anyone to Amazon. I thought the blogger's referral codes were being removed from links.

Yeah, they were removing bloggers' referral codes from Amazon links and substituting their own.

Re: LiveJournal stripping users' affiliate links

#44

Post by pyre » Fri, Mar 05, 2010, 5:49 PM UTC

jrockway wrote: post #28

pyre wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you read the whole thing (links and all) you'll find this nugget of a comment: Ooh, wait, I can do one better: I'm telling Amazon. (Anybody with me? A plurality of e-mail speaks louder than one.) This is in strict violation of the Operation Agreement for the Associate program, which forbids attempts to hide links, links being processed through redirects, failure to disclose use of the Affiliate program, and tamper…

What is Amazon going to do about a Russian company?

It's unclear who that affiliate account is owned by. For all we know, that other company could just be providing the tools for LiveJournal to insert their own affiliate id.